To be accepted, applicants must have a good environmental record, commit to superior environmental performance and implement an Environmental Management System (EMS). Specific environmental performance strategies are established by the participant, allowing each company to commit to environmental activities that are sensitive to their unique strengths and opportunities, DNR said.

“What they’re looking for in the Green Tier program is companies that go beyond regulation when it comes to safety, health and environmental and are focusing on continuing improvement,” Lauren Evans, sustainable development coordinator for Fairmount Minerals, told WQOW TV.Green Tier requires companies to develop plans like at Fairmount Minerals in Menomonie where they're striving to reduce waste from site operation by 20 percent from last year.

The DNR says more than 200 facilities are involved through close to 80 companies statewide in the Green Tier program. Two other WISA member companies, U.S. Silica and Superior Silica Sands, have applied for membership in the Green Tier Program, and are working their way through the process, the association said.

Mark S. Kuhar, Editor

Mark S. Kuhar, editor of Rock Products, has covered the aggregates and construction-materials industries for more than 25 years as a business journalist, associate publisher, blogger and digital-media specialist. He is a former winner of the Construction Writers Association’s Robert F. Boger Award for Editorials. Check back often for his posts, opinions and insights on industry developments, and commentary on topics of interest as he travels around the country. He can be reached at 330-722-4081, or [email protected].